


The Soft Punk

by BuckFitches



Series: The Punk Who Went Soft [1]
Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Storm in Arcadia Bay (Life is Strange), Blindfolds, Body Image, Body Positivity, Character Growth, Chloe being soft, Dom/sub Undertones, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Food Issues, Might be more chapters, Nudity, Possible smut, Self-Esteem Issues, Soft Chloe Price, Sweet, Teen Romance, Theres a little bit of plot but this is still mostly fluff, Weight Issues, comments wanted, encouragment, idk - Freeform, m'kay, new series?, pricefield
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:00:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26055334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BuckFitches/pseuds/BuckFitches
Summary: As it turns out, Max hadn't been the only one with self-esteem issues.Chloe Elizabeth Price was a lot of things - A tough punk, a high-school dropout, and a rebellious daughter with a mean streak.Behind close doors however, Chloe Price was struggling more than anyone could ever know. Frustrated with her place in life, butting heads with an abusive step-father, and struggling to come to grips with her recent weight-gain, Chloe has lost all sense of self-image.Thankfully, Chloe finds solace in her best friend recently turned girlfriend, so she doesn't have to fight this battle alone. All the while, Max comes to learn that she might enjoy seeing this new vulnerable side of Chloe.In this journey together, both young women soon come to discover different sides of themselves that they never knew existed.
Relationships: Maxine "Max" Caulfield/Chloe Price
Series: The Punk Who Went Soft [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1892980
Comments: 15
Kudos: 44





	1. The Argument

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After an argument with David goes sideways, Chloe realizes something about herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, this was an idea that I had and wanted to try out. A little bit different from my normal stuff. Still Pricefield tho. Not sure how many chapters there will be, but I'm planning on adding smut eventually. Comments and Kudos are encouraged as always.

"You don't know shit about me or my life! So go screw off somewhere you hella paranoid asshole!"

That was what Chloe Price had said before she had slammed the door to her bedroom as hard as she could. Now, roughly ten minutes later, she was eyeing up at the ceiling and twiddling her thumbs angrily.

Goddamn, she was still fucking _fuming_.

It was all his fault, like it always fucking was. 

He was the only person that could get under her skin to this extent. The only person that made her nearly want to rip her own ears off just so she didn't have to listen to his stupid fucking lectures anymore. That stupid fascist, paranoid, overprotective idiot that had stolen her father's place and her mother's love. That spiteful, irritating, pathetic excuse of a Stepfather.

Even now, at nearly twenty years of age, she still couldn't stand him. And It wasn't like she hadn't tried either. Heavens only knows that she had, but the damn guy was stubborn beyond belief. Probably even more than Chloe herself was at times. Today's offense had been even more evidence (Not that she needed anymore at this point) that David was out to make her life as shitty as humanly possible.

A few minutes ago, the two of them had gotten into a spat over Chloe's life choices as of late.

_"You're not going to get anywhere in life by just sitting around doing drugs, young lady. You need to make an adult decision."_

_Ughh._ Chloe scoffed in actual disgust. The memory of his words coursed through her veins like a sickness, a plague in her system that she couldn't shake or ignore.

What the fuck did David know about anything? Okay yeah, Chloe liked to smoke pot and get drunk sometimes, shit, hella people her age did the same thing. Big fucking deal. What gave him the right to single her out like she was some kind of burden on the world? 

It was beyond maddening to think about.

Becoming increasingly more angry by the second, The punk turned off of her back and onto her stomach so that she could bury her face into the surface below.

This wasn't how she wanted spend her Friday evening. Figuring that she wouldn't feel any better until she let out some tension or something, Chloe did the one thing she could when she didn't have any other way to let her rage out.

_Scream._

So she did.

As loud as she could into her bed.

In the end, it didn't really help much. She still felt angry. Angry, but only now with a mouthful of blanket fuzz. Yuck.

Drug use and life choices hadn't been the only thing Dick-vid (the new nickname she had been cooking up for him) jumped down her throat over. The fucking guy actually had the nerve to claim that Chloe had been "putting on weight" and that she should change her habits and live a healthier lifestyle like a proper "solider".

Those comments had been fuse that had set Chloe off and into a shouting tirade. 

_I mean, has Step-douche even seen a damn mirror before? Dude, porno-mustaches went out of style like in the 70's. You're the last person to criticize someone else's appearance._

Besides, it wasn't like Chloe was out to impress anyone anyways. Well, maybe except for one Maxine Caulfield, Chloe's childhood bestfriend-recently-turned-girlfriend. But that was a whole different can of worms all together. 

Max was sweet, shy and thoughtful. Whereas, Chloe was loud, sarcastic, and sometimes inconsiderate. How they ever came to be such a strong union together would forever be a mystery to her. Moments like these, Chloe cursed the fact the she had been such a reckless person and gotten herself expelled from Blackwell. She regretted not being able to spend time with Max when she was away at School.

She would probably end up texting the hipster sometime later today just to let her know how much Chloe was in absolutely love with her and how much she meant to her. And if not that, then Chloe would most likely just end up sneaking into Max's dorm later tonight. Probably end up doing both, if she were honest.

_Man, I should look into ways of getting my GED. At least then David won't be able to throw the "get an education" card in my face anymore._

Chloe got off the bed and stood up, stretched her limbs, wincing once when she felt a series of pops shoot though her spine. Just then however, as she was standing about, Chloe couldn't seem to shake a certain feeling from out of her mind. It was prodding at her, eating away at her conscience like a parasite, screaming at her to address the issue.

Chloe had to check something. Just so that she could prove that David was wrong.

_I mean, it can't hurt to look, can it?_

Reaching underneath her bed, the punk fished around until, finally, she found what she had been looking for. Pulling it out from underneath her bed with both hands, Chloe swept some excess dust from off of the item in-question.

Looking down, Chloe's eyes caught it.

A scale.

An old one too, not having seen use for many years now.

Chloe sighed and took the moment in as she stood there with it in her hands. Chloe hadn't touched this old thing in so damn long, that just holding it now, was like a shock to her system. The punk had stopped weighing herself and measuring her height after her father's passing. There had been no need anymore. William was gone. Chloe could no longer experience the joy of seeing her father watch his daughter get bigger and grow older. The day after his funeral, Chloe could remember in the midst of her breakdown, kicking it under her bed in a fit of pure grief.

There's where it had remained for the past five years. Trapped and forgotten just like all the other relics and memories of her father.

That was until today.

Chloe could already feel the tears begin to form behind her eyelids. Stubbornly, she blinked them back and re-centered herself.

Now wasn't the time for old memories. Chloe was here for one thing and one thing only.

Dropping the scale onto the floor with a slip of her fingers, Chloe prepared herself for what was to come. Peeling off her boots and socks, the punk took in a breath. She didn't quite know why this all was suddenly so fucking nerve-wrecking for her.

She was tough punk, goddammit. Chloe Price didn't take shit from any person, let alone some inanimate object.

A number on a scale wouldn't bother her.

_Fuck it. Here goes nothing._

Stepping onto the scale toes-first, the punk eventually settled in, before dropping her full weight onto the thing. Chloe watched intently as the screen flashed off and on as it calculated the numbers. Though it was only seconds, it felt like hours for Chloe, her heart-rate speeding up rapidly.

Finally, after what seemed like a century of waiting, the digital screen on the scale paused for a second before a number flashed onto the screen. Swallowing a stone and pushing past her reserves, the punk forced herself to look down at it.

_161 LBS._

Chloe stood there for a moment, almost as she was frozen in time. Her brain did nearly a thousand simulations and scenarios. Eventually, the punk's mind did come to a horrifying and sobering conclusion.

Chloe _had_ put on some weight.

Not an absurd or worrying amount, but still a decent bit nonetheless.

What was even more terrifying though, was this meant that David _had_ been right in his accusation all along. And if David was right about Chloe's weight-gain, chances were that he was probably right about everything else too. 

Chloe _was_ a fuck up. She _was_ a high-school dropout and a shit excuse for a daughter. Blue hair, a pocket full of cigarettes, a beer belly, and lifetime of bad choices. That's all that Chloe Price was.

And she _fucking_ hated herself for it.

Overcome with emotion, Chloe took one of her hands and felt down at herself. Come to think of it, Chloe had been noticing that her skinnyjeans had been a little tighter around her waist as of late. That was probably a warning sign to change up the way she was living.

A warning sign that Chloe had been too foolish to acknowledge.

The punk took a bit of belly pudge and pinched at the surface. Chloe was sure that had never been there before.

_I guess drinking booze and stuffing my face with hella junk food isn't the most healthy way to live..._

The punk sighed and stepped off the scale. Chloe didn't know why she was so down about all of this, but she still was. The self-deprecating thoughts of old were already starting to creep their way into the back of Chloe's mind.

No job, no education, and no reason for anyone to love her. Max would probably just bail on her again after she graduated from Blackwell, and Chloe would be left all alone again.

Only this time for good.

_Really shouldn't have smoked up my whole supply. I could really use a joint right about now._

Fighting off angry tears, the punk took her place back onto the bed. Ignoring the way the beer in her stomach sloshed around at her movements, Chloe forced her eyes closed. She didn't want to think or do anything right now. Not even thinking about Max's dorky face could save her from this pit of agony she was trapped in. 

Perhaps sleeping would help, Chloe thought.

At least in the dream world, she didn't have to constantly be reminded of how much the universe wanted to fuck her over.

So sleep she did.


	2. The Next Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe tries to start fresh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a comment or something. Shit's boring out here lmao.

If you knew her, then you would know that were quite a number of things that annoyed Chloe Price, but there was nothing that annoyed her more than being woken up early in the morning on Saturday.

Especially when she had no weed to wake and bake with. And to make matters worse, Chloe had gone to bed last night earlier than usual, which meant she wasn't able to sneak into Blackwell like she had originally planned, which also meant waking up to no sleepy Max cuddles. So yeah, you could say that she was having a pretty crappy start to her morning.

_Another lovely day in this shithole. Hooray for me._

Chloe groaned and forced her head underneath one of her pillows. This wasn't the optimal ways for someone with her current headspace to be feeling as soon as they wake up. Memories of yesterday's fiasco with David was still fresh on mind and weighing heavily on her.

Gah, that stupid fucker had actually manged do to the one thing that Chloe had tried so hard to not let him do: destroy her sense of self.

Already feeling the anger and self-hatred boiling under the surface, Chloe tried to force herself to think happy thoughts. It wasn't really helping. She couldn't shake it for some reason. It didn't make any goddamn sense to her.

Like, she had never given a care to what anyone thought about her before. Even back as a wide-eyed little girl who played pirates, Chloe was as carefree as one could be.

Until yesterday.

The punk wasn't sure when or why it all had changed so suddenly. 

It was almost as if David's big mouth had opened her eyes to all the flaws and mistakes she had been blind to her whole life. Chloe had done nothing to improve her shitty life over the past few years. But who could fault her? She had no job nor an education. All she could do was leach off of Max's talents like the useless parasite that she was until the wheels fell off.

Just like she had been been doing with Rachel Amber beforehand.

_Ah shit...Rachel..._

Chloe suppressed a groan of sadness at the thought of ex-girlfriend's name. Their breakup had been a messy one. It was no secret that Chloe had been crushing on Max ever since their childhood. It was only natural that when Max showed back up in Arcadia that Chloe would be head over heels for the hipster. It the end, it had been a mutual split by both women. Both she and Rachel agreed it would only make things awkward if Chloe had to choose between her two crushes. Ever since that then, Rachel hadn't really been the most pleasant person to around.

Chloe wasn't sure if was subtle jealousy or what, but it had been a quite while since the two of them had talked. Last Chloe had heard, Rachel was apparently planning on visiting California over the summer so she could peruse her modeling career. Had this been a year or two ago, Chloe would've gladly asked to tag along.

She would've done anything to get out of Arcadia Bay. 

Part of her still wanted leave someday, but now that she had her precious doe-eyed hipster back in her life, Chloe was willing to wait it out a little bit longer. Well, until Max graduated from school at least. Maybe all three of them could live it up big in LA or somewhere similar. 

_God, listen to me. I'm such a fucking loser. Always banking on someone else to come save my sorry ass._

Thinking about it, Chloe actually found it all a little funny in a sorta pathetic kinda way. Both Rachel and Max had always dreams of their respective futures. Bright, vibrant goals that pushed them forward to where they wanted to be in life.

Chloe had none of that.

She never did have that.

She had no dreams or anything of the sort.

She had nothing.

She _was_ nothing.

The punk let out a hefty sigh. This is why she hated being sober in the morning. Far too much opportunity for her brain to start filling itself up negative thoughts. Luckily before her mental-state was able to go even further into the deep end, something else managed to creep in behind those nasty thoughts, and she was rewarded with a welcomed distraction. 

_Food_.

Chloe stomach roared angrily with hunger pangs, alerting her that it was time for breakfast. Normally, this would probably have been an annoyance, but right now Chloe needed just about anything to take her mind off of how badly her life currently sucked. 

_Jesus, that was a loud one. Good thing Max wasn't around to hear that..._

Flipping out of bed with a quick thrust of her long legs, Chloe went to her closet and threw on the first outfit she saw. As she was adjusting to get comfortable, she couldn't help but notice how snug the normally baggy tank-top was fitting around her waist. David's words instantly played through her mind as a result. Chloe grumbled and cursed at no one in particular. She couldn't believe that fucker was actually affecting her mojo to this degree.

Catching her reflection in the mirror behind her, the punk pushed her abdomen out further with an exhale as to give the illusion of a full-on gut. It wasn't the most appealing or attractive thing to do, but Chloe didn't really care all that much right now.

_I haven't lost my hardass punk style all the way yet. My tattoo and hair are still hella rad, might as well wear my beer gut with pride then too._

Forcing her bare feet into yesterday's boots without even bothering to look down at where she was going, Chloe stumbled out of her room and into the hallway. The punk pulled out her cellphone and shot Max a text to let her know that she would be picking her up from Blackwell soon. Since today was a Saturday that meant Max had no classes and Chloe could have the hipster all to herself with no interruptions. She was beyond extra excited to see her girlfriend today.

Moments later, Max responded with a text of her own.

**Max: Glad to hear it Chlo'. I missed you last night and can't wait 2 see you today. =)**

Chloe's mood was almost instantly improved once she read those words. At least there was one person out there in the universe who actually gave a damn about her. The punk could just about nearly feel herself crack a smile as she walked into the kitchen.

That smile was quickly absolved once she caught sight of David sitting by himself at the dinnertable quietly flipping through some newspaper.

_And suddenly my life is dipped in shit again..._

"Hey, where's mom at?" Chloe asked loudly to draw his attention, unable to hide the annoyance in her tone. David looked up at her then, brows furred and wavering, an expression of disinterest on his face.

God, the fucking guy always had to look a prick, didn't he?

"A waitress called in sick. Had to take an earlier shift." 

Chloe rolled her eyes and groaned without even noticing it. Last thing she wanted was to be stuck in this house all alone with David of all people.

"So what about breakfast then?"

David did that thing with his mustache that signaled that he was about to say something dumb and unwarranted, and Chloe could already tell where this convo was heading.

"You're an adult, Chloe. Your mother shouldn't have to make meals for you."

The punk felt the wind slip further from her sails.

_No breakfast today? Man, I'm hella hungry too.._

"Says the man who always begs for moms cooking like a stray puppy." Chloe shot back, folding her arms. She really didn't need to start her day off with this type of shit again.

David's eyes raised and his expression became even more punchable.

"I'll have you know-"

"Actually, I don't wanna know." Chloe said, stopping him before he could even begin. "I'm hanging out with Max anyways. I'll just find something to eat on the drive over."

Chloe knew she was lying. She didn't have any cash to buy anything to eat with, but David didn't have to know that. Besides, arguing on an empty stomach wasn't exactly on her list of things to do today.

Ignoring the way her guts ached in protest, the punk turned on her heel and headed out the front door. Before she got there, she heard David call out from behind her.

"You better stay out of trouble!"

Chloe had to resist the urge to flip him off. Stepfathers be damned, she was hanging out with her girlfriend today no matter what.

That was the one thing she wouldn't let him ruin.


	3. The Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max and Chloe have a talk and discover things about themselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy this shit or whatever lmao.

In all honesty, neither one of them had changed all that much since way back then. Yeah sure, Max had bailed and not kept in contact, but that was all in the past now. Chloe had her first mate back, so you bet your ass she was gonna savor these little moments as much as she could. Fucks ups with Stepdouche aside, Chloe was feeling as good as she had today than she had in a long time.

Probably had something to do with the little doe-eyed hipster than had captured Chloe's attention ever since she could remember. Today's date had gone well. She and Max had spent majority of the day out at American Rust and reliving some memories of their childhood. After that, the two of them had taken a light stroll on the local beach for about an hour or so, clearing their minds free of the troubles of the outside world.

It was freeing and liberating all at the same time.

Back when she was dating Rachel, Chloe had always felt like there was never enough time in the day to do all of the things she wanted. Concerts, moshpits, and nightclubs had always been at the center of her attention. Loud, boisterous activities that were full throttle and full steam ahead. Just two punks raising hell at every turn with no fucks given.

Max was different story. And for some reason that Chloe couldn't describe, that scared her.

She didn't want Max to leave again. Chloe couldn't bare going through something like that twice, she just couldn't. Even more so now, with Rachel's new distant snobby attitude towards everyone, Chloe knew that she would have no support system to pull her out from that type of darkness a second time.

Chloe needed Max to stay. Her relationship with Max was the one thing Chloe could not afford to fuck up. She wouldn't be able to function otherwise.

So yeah, that's probably why the punk had recently been so lax with letting Max take the reigns on their dates thus far. Hippy little coffee shops and walks on the beach weren't things that Chloe fancied in the slightest, but seeing the way that Max smiled and lit up like a candle, kept the punk in line. For someone as shy and unassuming as Max Caulfield was, somehow Chloe was like putty in the hipster's hands during the best of times. Not like the way that she had been with Rachel either, but in an entirely different way that was hard to put into words.

And Chloe was pretty sure that Max wasn't even aware of it.

_Fuck, I'm such a mess. I'm so hella in love with her it's not even funny._

Just like most things in life, it was a total mindfuck.

Chloe was even sure-

"Hey Chlo' are you still listening?"

At was at that moment that Chloe re-materialized back into the present and realized what was she doing. She and Max were sitting on the hood of Chloe's truck, sneakers and boots clashing, eyes wandering up at the waning sunset. They had been here for about an hour, so it was safe to assume that Max was probably getting a little tired and antsy. She was just a shy photographer after all, she had never been one for the nighttime life.

Chloe wasn't really sure when she had spaced out.

"My bad dude, I zoned out for a sec. Run that by me one more time?"

Max's freckled face squished up for a second and brow wavered. "I was just trying to see if you were ready to end things for today. It's going to get dark soon."

Chloe fought to hard to not let her feelings show on her face. A simple question should've have had this much of an effect on her, but yet here she was. A mushy mess of person who damn near creamed her pants over a basic glance and smirk.

Some fucking tough punk she was.

"Don't know to be honest. Was kinda hoping for some more action on our date."

Max rubbed the back of her slender neck and turned her eyes down at their feet. These set of motions usually meant that she didn't know what to say and was trying to think of something. Finally, after apparently building up the confidence within herself, Max spoke. "More action? Like what?"

Chloe shrugged her shoulders. "We could go spray-paint some old buildings or something. Maybe even hit up Frank for some weed. Spice things up a bit."

Max's face curdled like spoiled milk. "No thanks. I'd like to keep my criminal record blank." 

Chloe chuckled. Even now as a young adult, Max was still as innocent as ever. With enough convincing, she figured they could probably cross that bridge someday. Chloe had always wanted to see what Max looked like if she was stoned.

_It would be the cutest fucking thing ever. Note to self, find a way to get Max high one day._

Feeling bold for the moment, Chloe reached over and took a Max's hand into her own. It was a little forward for sure, but Chloe was never one to be known for her subtly. Part of the punk felt as though they were moving a little fast at times, Max had only been back at Blackwell for about five months now and Chloe was already drooling over the poor girl.

Chloe Price was a hopeless romantic and everyone knew it. First for Max, then for Rachel, then for Max again.

"You say that like I haven't already corrupted your precious little hipster brain. I'm gonna turn you into a no-good hooligan in no time."

There was the famous Max nervous blush that Chloe knew well. Max might've been more assertive and straightforward as of late, but that didn't mean that Chloe didn't know how to push her buttons still.

"Well, you _are_ my partner in crime after all."

Chloe smirked. "Smartass."

Max gave Chloe a love-tap on the shoulder, surprising the punk with her strength. 

"I learned from the best."

This kind of companionship is what Chloe had been missing in her life. What she had _craved_ for so damn long. Despite all the bad shit going on behind closed doors, Max Caulfield was the one thing that kept her sane through it all. Even during those five years of hell, just the memory of Max was enough to make Chloe get up in the morning when she wanted to end it all.

Rachel might've been Chloe's angel, but Max was something more all together. Chloe didn't know why it had taken her all these damn years to realize that.

It was comforting and fear-inducing all at the same time.

Looking around at the empty parking lot surrounding them, Chloe took a cigarette out of her pocket and sparked it up. Fiddling with the zippo in her hands, Chloe blew a waft of smoke into the wind, clouding the space between them. Neither of them had much to say for the next minute or so, the sounds of nature and nearby passing cars being the only things audible.

Chloe didn't mind and she was pretty sure Max didn't either. Sometimes, a little bit of quietness was all someone needed.

And Chloe definitely didn't have enough quietness nowadays.

As was often the case during empty moments, Chloe could feel her mind starting to wonder off again. Despite trying to hard to think about something else, the punk knew exactly what thing her brain would zero in on and force her to think about.

Yesterday's situation with David was still bothering her something fierce.

It was eating her alive.

David's words had not only killed her confidence in herself, his words had actually _hurt._ Not in a physical way either, like the fresh sting of a slap did. No, that shit never bothered her, Chloe could handle a little pain. But this? Oh, it was like something that Chloe had never experienced before.

_Dammit! Why am I letting that stupid dickhead get to me like this?_

Naturally, her first response to stress was to lash out and scream at the closest person to her, but seeing as how Max was with her right now, Chloe figured that wouldn't be the most appealing thing to do in front of your girlfriend.

Thankfully or rather un-thankfully depending on which way you looked at it, something else broke the silence between them.

Chloe winced visibly when her stomach growled loudly. She had neglected her appetite in midst of her date and her guts refused to be ignored any longer. No breakfast and no weed equaled one unhappy punk.

 _Damn, totally_ _forgot about getting some noms today. I could eat a fucking horse..._

Chloe secretly hoped Max hadn't heard her belly's cry for help just now, because she _really_ wasn't in the mood for Max to start hounding her about things. Unfortunately for her, Max had already begun to scoot over from her spot on the hood to bring herself closer.

Once Max got there, she nudged Chloe on the shoulder softly. "Someone sounds hungry like the wolf."

Chloe could help but cringe at one of her own sayings being used against her. Honestly, it didn't sound nearly as "hella cool" coming out of Max's mouth though. 

"Very funny, Caulfield. I actually skipped out on breakfast." Chloe grumbled, folding her one of her arms. Her cig was getting to the last bit by now, so she flicked the butt of it towards the ground below.

Max's eyes took a glaze of concern to them. "How come you didn't say that you were hungry? Everyone knows that Chloe Price never misses a meal."

This time, Chloe could stop the groan from escaping. Her endless mental issues weren't something she wanted to discuss on her date night. Even more so now that she was dating Max, a person who was already struggling with her own numerous self-image hangups. She didn't need Chloe's extra bullshit adding to the pile.

_Ugh. Fuck you stomach. This is all your fault._

Chloe knew she couldn't keep things hidden from Max forever. Much like Rachel before her, Max had seemingly had this talent of always making Chloe's protective barriers come crashing down with just a few words. The punk couldn't deny the power that both of them had seemed to have over her sometimes. Even when they weren't aware of the things that drove Chloe wild with desire, they still somehow always managed to do those things anyway.

It was confusing. Perhaps even a little arousing too, if Chloe were honest.

Swallowing her pride alongside her annoyance, Chloe turned to her girlfriend and spoke. "David told me I was putting on weight. Guess that's just fucking with my head right now."

Just hearing herself repeat his words made Chloe want to vomit. What was worse though, was Max's sudden look of disdain. Chloe had never seen her look as pissed as she did right now.

"He did?" Max scoffed, clinching a fist. "What a fucking asshole thing to say!"

Chloe was surprised at Max's volume, she nearly caught herself flinching a bit from it. Never before had she seen Max come to her defense like this. Still, it did little to quell the self-doubt within her.

"Yeah well, he was actually right about it too. Honestly, I didn't think it would bother me this much, but it really is." Chloe didn't like where this was going. Today was supposed to be a fun, relaxing day at the beach. Not her own personal therapy session.

Glancing over, she saw the anger in Max's freckled face fade just as quickly as it had appeared. Now there was just sadness instead. Sadness, and an almost nurturing look.

"I know what it feels like to ridiculed for your body. Back at my school in Seattle, I used to get mocked for how skinny and dorky I was by most of the kids there."

Now it was Chloe's turn to get angry.

"Fucking kids are pricks. Better be grateful I wasn't there. I would've hella kicked their asses for messing with you."

Max pulled an arm around her. Chloe had fight hard not to let a gasp escape her throat at the sudden skin contact. This was certainly one way to help her want to open up more.

"I don't doubt that."

Chloe wanted to stay here in this moment forever, but she knew that there was still more shit she had to get off of her chest first.

"Max, I'm fucked up. I don't have a job. I don't have an education. I'm just loser trash that messes up everything she touches. I don't know how to deal with all these soft bullshit emotions. I don't know who I am anymore and I'm hella scared about it."

Chloe loathed how pathetic she sounded right now. How soft and weak her words came. She didn't want anyone, not even Max to see her in such a pitiful state. Speaking of which, in the moment, Max had leaned in closer and _commanded_ Chloe to look at her. Chloe obeyed without second thought. Blue met blue, their gazes melding into one.

"It's okay to feel vulnerable sometimes, Chloe. Trust me, I know that better than anyone."

Chloe opened her mouth to interrupt but Max silenced her with a look.

"You don't have to be a tough punk all the time. It's okay to feel these things. You're human and you have flaws just like everybody else. You're the most important thing in my life right now. You're my captain, my friend, and my _lover_. You put on a few pounds, but that's okay! It doesn't make you any less valid. I don't like hearing you say those things about yourself. And I don't care what David or anyone else says, Chloe Price is _not_ a loser."

Reaching up, Max brushed away one of the tears that Chloe didn't notice welling up in her own eyes. This was what she was afraid of.

"Promise me you'll never listen to anyone who says horrible things like about you again, okay?"

Chloe nodded glumly, still not fully convinced yet. Max shook her head and her eyes lowered. "No. I want you to verbally say it."

That firmness in Max's voice was something that Chloe didn't expect. It was a little bit terrifying honestly. 

"Is Max bein' bossy tonight or what?"

Max growled playfully and tightened her grip around Chloe's shoulder. Things were heating up in ways neither of them were prepared for. "Maybe a little. I still haven't heard you say the words yet."

Chloe rolled her eyes but nonetheless did what Max asked.

After that the two young women embraced each other and kissed like they had never done before, leaving each other breathless and craving more.

She and Max hadn't had done the deed quite yet, and Chloe didn't want to force Max into doing anything she didn't want to do, but the assertiveness that the hipster had just put on display tonight had Chloe's mind raging through the fucking roof right now though.

Tonight in bed would be _very_ interesting to say the least.

Another well-timed stomach grumble from the punk held off any further advances. _Right, food._

"Jesus Chlo'. You sound like you're gonna die of starvation." Max chuckled, poking Chloe in the belly, finger sinking in to the soft flesh there. Chloe had resist the urge to groan at how surprisingly good it felt.

The punk slid off of the hood of the car, before taking a moment to dust some leftover dust and ash off of her jeans.

"Guess we should go and hit up the Two Whales and see what they have to offer. At least there, Dickvid won't be around to get on my case about how much I eat."

"Dickvid?" Max cocked an eyebrow. "What happened to Stepdouche?"

Chloe shrugged. "Ran it's course. Needed something new."

With that, both of them pilled into Chloe's truck and set sail in search of food.

As she pulled out of the parking lot, Chloe couldn't help notice how enticing bossy Max was. She was almost certainly going have to find a way to bring that side of Max out again in the future.

Maybe things wouldn't be so bad after all.


	4. The Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe clashes with David again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter. Comments, kudos, and all that good shit.

_Approximately_ _one week after Max and Chloe's date at the beach..._

If there was one thing that Chloe Price enjoyed more than getting hella stoned beyond belief, it was getting hella stoned _and_ having a hella epic munchies binge to top it all off. After going so long with being deprived of such pleasures, today's session felt like Chloe's own personal little slice of heaven.

Given the stress of her life as of late, days such as this one were a rarity.

The punk was currently relaxing on the wool sofa in the living room, lounging in a old _Firewalk_ t-shirt and gray sweatpants. Her slender toes wiggled aimlessly on the coffee table, blue nail polish chipped and glinting in the light. Typically she wouldn't have bothered relaxing anywhere other than her bedroom but seeing as how she had the entire place to herself for the moment, Chloe had decided to make herself comfortable in the biggest area of house.

A late evening lunch at her favorite place had treated her quite well. 

_Thank the universe for McDonald's._ _Noshing on a budget like a true punk should._

Turns out "borrowing" a few dollars from David's wallet while he slept was a pretty fucking great idea after all. Linking back up with her old friend Justin to score some free weed afterwards had also proved to be quite the fruitful adventure. All-in-all, today hadn't been that shitty.

Feeling lackadaisical for a second, Chloe yawned and placed a hand underneath her beanie, brushing some stray hair out of her eyes. Her head felt fuzzy right now. Most likely it was just the remnants of her high tapering off. Then again, being full of good food had always made her drowsy. Yeah, she _probably_ shouldn't have ate that second burger given her current mental status, but her appetite usually tended to overrule her judgement on most days.

And hey, fast food was hella cheap and really tasty. Who says that a punk shouldn't be able to treat herself every once and a while?

Glancing down, Chloe placed a hand atop her belly. She could feel just how bloated she had gotten after that meal and she let out a sigh. Her self-doubt was playing with her again. It mocked her. David's words still echoing in her mind, even a entire week later. Prior to all this, Chloe had never been the health-conscience type, but now it just seemed like every inch of her body was under a microscope. It didn't feel good, not in the least bit. Nonchalantly, the punk poked at her abdomen from underneath her t-shirt with a finger.

_*blorp*_

Seconds later seemingly with a mind of its own, the organ gargled back a response.

" _Fuck you too.",_ Chloe imagined it saying to her. She didn't know why or when, but suddenly she wasn't feeling as content with herself as she had just a few minutes ago. A sickly, nauseated feeling taking it's place. This was another side effect she had picked up after her argument with David. Sometimes, it would hard to keep food down of she thought about him too much.

"Urgh, fuckin' shit." Chloe grumbled out loud to no one. She belched underneath her palm, bile coating the back of her throat. Part of her considered getting up and turning the ceiling fan on, cause she pretty sure that she was sweating bullets now. 

_Can't even eat anymore without fucking David getting under my skin now._

She considered shooting Max a text, if anyone knew a remedy for a Stepdick-induced indigestion, it'd probably be everyone's favorite nerdy hipster. She weighed the options out in her head. Max had recently been exposed to a small fraction of the mental anguish that the punk had been enduring for awhile now, but that didn't mean that Chloe was magically ready to start sharing every last little detail about the bullshit going on in her mind.

Max had enough on her plate as it stood anyways. Knowing that her girlfriend was having to attend the pathetic excuse of a school that was Blackwell Academy for most of the week was more than kosher of a reason for Chloe to be hesitant about sharing further.

Somethings you just have to keep private, she reminded herself. That includes those you're closest with. It didn't even matter if Max was her girlfriend now either.

A few seconds went by and a sudden shudder ran through Chloe's system. God knows what David's reaction would be if he found out that Chloe had a _girlfriend_ instead of a _boyfriend_ , let alone the fact that Chloe had even recently had been with another girl just prior.

_Dude, his fucking head would probably explode. Although, seeing David's head go "kaboom" would totally be a dream come true._

Fiddling with her cellphone in one hand and cradling her upset belly with the other, Chloe played out the scenarios in her head. If Max was out of the question, that meant that Rachel definitely was too. Even now, Chloe was still far too chicken-shit to ask her ex what the reason for her sudden shadiness was.

After graduating from Blackwell last year, Rachel had been moving faster than even Chloe could keep with up, that was one of the reasons that they had ended up splitting. Rachel had _also_ been spending a lot more time around Frank recently, and while Chloe didn't hate the guy, she really saw no real reason to hang around him other than to pawn her drugs from him or do favors for a quick payday.

_Shit's been getting weird in Arcadia recently. Hella more than usual too._

She was so caught up in her dilemma and thoughts she didn't notice the front door twisting and opening. Behind her, David Madsen spilled into the main hallway with a hefty gruff, still clad in his security guard uniform. It took a moment for either one of them to register each others presence. But once they did, boy, did it get awkward.

David spoke first. "Any particular reason you're downstairs scowlin' in the livin' room for?"

It was a simple question, really. 

But there was something about the way that he asked it that already made Chloe's blood preemptively start boiling. This fucker had already sabotaged her relationship with her own mother, inserted himself into her father's place, and recently made Chloe start doubting herself in ways she never thought possible. Now he had the sheer unmitigated gall to question her what she was doing, when she had been living in this very house long before he had even been in the fucking picture?

And he wanted Chloe to just sit there and take it like a good little solider, didn't he?

Right?

No, _fuck that_.

Chloe shot up from the sofa and took a few steps over to where David was standing. Part of her regretted it when she felt her bare feet go from warm carpet to cold floor-tile. It didn't matter much though as David eyed her down, looking mostly confused at her sudden aggression. She didn't even know why this prick was home right now. It was a quarter past seven, normally around this time he should've been patrolling the campus at Blackwell.

As if to explain himself, he opened his mouth to speak but was promptly cut off.

"Fuck off asshole. I don't answer to you." She blurted out before she even knew it. It was almost if all the pent up feelings for him were coming out unconsciously. 

While Chloe knew that this type of energy was perhaps a little overboard in response to a basic question, honestly if there was anyone who brought this side of her out, it was him. To her surprise and partial disappointment, David's expression wasn't one of anger, rather something along the lines of borderline confusion and annoyance.

Still though, his tone came out the same. "I ain't in the mood to argue right now, Chloe. I go through enough dealin' with punks like you at work all damn day."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Big fucking deal. You're a fucking security guard dude and a pretty shitty one might I add. Learn to deal with it."

David's mustache wiggled and his lowered. Now he seemed to be getting irritated.

"At least I have a job. You just go around blamin' the world for your problems. You're gonna go nowhere in life with an attitude like that. You already threw away your chance at a proper education. That's all you've been doin'. Sittin' around on eating junk food and smokin' pot. Wastin' all your potential." 

Chloe scoffed. The fucking nerve of this guy to come and look down on her. He didn't have a slight clue of the shit that she had been through in the last five years. 

_My fucking dad DIED when I was only fourteen! My only friend moved far away and left me behind! So yeah, I think I have pretty legit reason to be a little pissed about things!_

Chloe could feel the momentum in this argument slipping from her, and she couldn't bare letting David shoot her down the same way he had done last week. She had to go for the jugular. She had put this asshole down for the count. She had to get the better of him for once. She didn't want him to keep fucking up her life.

"Oh yeah? I'd rather be a dropout than some needle-dick loser who has control issues only cause he didn't amount to shit when he was in the Army!"

David's eyes actually bulged for a second. He clearly hadn't expected that comment.

"I fought for this country! I won't sit here and be disrespected in my own damn home!"

Chloe didn't let up. "But this isn't your home, asshole! It never was! This is my father's home!"

That broke the camel's back.

Chloe felt the slap before she even saw it. The sting was familiar, but still just as unpleasant. Chloe's hand instantly recoiled to her cheek in an attempt to shield it from further damage. She would've probably hit him back had she not been so frozen in fear when it happened. Already she could feel the bruise beginning to form underneath the skin.

"God dammit Chloe. You made me do that. I didn't want to do it, but you don't know when to give a rest." His voice had a somewhat apologetic tone to it, but whether that was for his sake or Chloe's was unknown.

The punk wasn't listening. This wasn't the first time David had hit her, and probably wouldn't be the last either. Opting to save her words for another time, Chloe barged past him and over towards the front door. Stepping into a pair of old sneakers rather than her typical combat boots, Chloe threw on her jacket over herself and slammed the door behind her.

Honestly, her pride and spirit hurt more than her face did. She had lost to David again. He had made her run away like she always did. Shit would never change. With Rachel out of the picture for the time being, that meant going to her hideout at the junkyard was out of the question. That meant there was only one option Chloe had to go and hang her head in shame at.

Blackwell.

Max would know what to do.

Max was smarter than she was.

Max would find a reason for Chloe to smile.

Max was the only good thing Chloe had left.


	5. The Blackwell Break-In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe sneaks into Max's dorm.

The drive to Blackwell had gone as well as one could expect.

Given how downright fucking livid with anger Chloe was, it was a miracle she hadn't just decided to ram her truck through the front entrance of the academy.

That isn't to say that she wouldn't eventually do that one of these days though. Given how especially grating things had been as of the last week or so, it would probably be sooner rather later.

Not too soon after she had departed from her house, had the skies opened up and a downpour fell through. It was ironically fitting, she thought. It always seemed to rain whenever she was feeling in a shitty mood like this. She wasn't sure if that was just the universe's way of fucking with her or what, but Chloe didn't find the humor in it.

So now, here she was. Loitering outside of the female dormitories, pacing back and forth in her hoodie in that totally wasn't suspicious or anything. It wasn't the most appealing thing to be doing, right now Chloe couldn't give less of a shit if she tried.

Blackwell's security wasn't known for being the most thorough in the world, and since David had apparently gone home early for whatever reason, that only made it even easier for a break-in like this one to happen.

And even if she was caught, the longshot that it was, Chloe knew that she could just weasel her way out of any serious trouble. It wouldn't be the first time nor would it be the last. Dating Rachel Amber for such a time had taught the punk a bevy of strategies for screwing the system.

Chloe had already pulled out her phone and informed Max of her soon-to-be arrival. Many smiley-face emojis were received in return, to Chloe's eternal dismay.

She hadn't told Max about what had just happened with David a few minutes prior, no way would Chloe be able to explain the situation properly through a simple text message any way. _Not that_ she really wanted to share this part of her life with anyone mind you, but she and Max had both recently swore to not to keep their feelings hidden from each other any more, and Chloe Price never went back on a promise. 

Especially when that promise was to Max, her first mate and partner in crime.

_God, the sooner I get inside and out of this rain, the better. I hella need some Max cuddles right now._

Once Chloe was positive that the coast was clear, she made a mad dash towards the main entrance of the dorms.Ignoring how damn annoying the squishing from her rain-soaked sneakers was, Chloe stormed into the corridor and down the hallway.

Already long familiar with the layout of the school from prior knowledge, Chloe located Max's dorm in a matter of seconds. She wasn't sure if she should knock or just barge in seeing as how Max already knew that Chloe had been on her way. She fiddled with the doorknob and felt little in the way of resistance.

Eventually she decided on the the second option.

Chloe opened the door to the dorm and was greeted to the face she had long desired. Chloe wanted to say something dumb and quippy as she normally did, but couldn't think of anything in time, as the moment that Max realized that her girlfriend was standing there, she shot up and rushed over to greet her.

"Here there, stranger." She said, eyes full of light and life. Chloe just gave a dorky wave, still unable to come up with an appropriate enough greeting for a moment like this.

Max was in her nightware, only a basic t-shirt and shorts.

_Straight and to the point, totally Max's style._

Her expression was warm and inviting, like she was _actually_ happy to see Chloe for whatever reason. Just knowing that Max cared enough after all that time apart, was enough to bring Chloe's mood up a few notches. Just then, the brunette brought her thin arms up and pulled Chloe in for a hug.

Chloe still had about a good three inches of height over her, so Max had to improvise a bit. Bare feet stood atop Chloe's sneakers, and Max pulled the punk's shoulders down some so they could meet halfway in the middle.

It was simple thing, really.

She and Max had hugged hundreds of times by now, but there was _something_ about the way Max had done it this time, the way her face had lit up a the mere sight of Chloe's presence. Perhaps it was just the pent-up emotions from all the bullshit that had happened with David, her self-doubt, and all her other bevy of issues that put Chloe over the edge.

Whatever the case, Chloe felt something slip inside of her, the feelings boiling up to the forefront. She was supposed the tough one in the relationship, dammit! The tears came flowing out like a dam and Chloe couldn't hold them back. She leaned in tighter to Max's embrace, squeezing the smaller girl for dear life. Max, who just now had realized what was going on, took a hand and tilted Chloe's face upwards so she could match their gazes.

"Hey, how come you're crying?" Her voice full of concern and disbelief, brushing some of the stray tears away before the could fall fully. "Did something bad happen?"

Chloe felt like a million bricks were on her chest right now. She was fucking things up again. Now she had gone and gotten Max worried about her safety. Things weren't supposed to go this way, she wasn't supposed let Max see her whenever she was vulnerable like this. Rachel had always told Chloe to never let the world see you when you were at your weakest, and Chloe had taken that advice to heart.

She didn't want to let Max see just how fucking _scared_ she was. How behind that rough punk persona, she was _burning_ up on the inside with emotional turmoil.

"I shouldn't have come here when I'm fucked up like this, this isn't, fuck, I just...-" Chloe spluttered. Man, she couldn't form a coherent sentence for the life of her right now. 

Her hands instinctively went to her pockets and she chewed at her lip. A couple of old nervous ticks from back in her more anxiety-heavy days popping back up.

Before Chloe knew it, Max had already pulled her into the dorm and shut the door behind them. Chloe just stood there, eyes peeled down at the carpet below. The calming nature of the air-conditioned room was helping to calm her nerves down a tad, but not entirely.

Now standing in better light, Max got a better look at her overwhelmed girlfriend. Exampling her features closely, Max's eyes landed on something that Chloe had hoped that she wouldn't see. A small bruise, just under the skin of punk's left eye. The skin red and tender as blood clotted underneath the flesh. Pale, skinny fingers traced over the surface, careful not to inflict too much pressure.

_Shit, she wasn't supposed to notice that! I forgot to hide the fucking bruise!_

Max eyes went from sad to angry in a matter of seconds. Similar to how they had done that day of their date, it was just as intoxicatingly arousing and intimidating now as it was then. Chloe couldn't handle all of these swirling emotions in her at once like this. It was too much, way too fucking much. Max's hands steadied there grip on the taller young woman's cheeks, coddling her softly as she were a concerned parent.

"Did he, shit," She paused, words struggling to come to her in the heat of the moment. "Did David do this?"

Chloe, feeling like the lost stray puppy that she was, just nodded her head dumbly. There was no use in trying to hide the the truth anymore, Max had seen it all at this point. Anger flared in the brunette's blue eyes again, her expression full of concern and worry. "We should call the cops or something. This is borderline assault. David has no right to put his fucking hands on you."

Chloe scoffed mockingly at the suggestion. Like the fucking Arcadia pigs would actually give a shit about what happens to a troublemaker like her. She'd had a few minor run-ins with the law before, and nothing good ever came out of it. 

"Don't bother." Chloe spoke up at last, eyes still on the ground. Her panic attack was starting wane off a bit by now. She didn't want to freak Max anymore then she already had, one of them had to remain sane for the night, at least.

"I'm ninety-nine percent sure that Stepdouche has some friends in the police department. So we wouldn't get very far with that. Besides, mom will probably just end up taking his side in the end. She always does." The words made Chloe feel ill to think about. She knew there was some truth to them too, her mother _would_ probably choose David over _her_ if it came down it.

Chloe couldn't really blame her either.

She hadn't really been the best daughter in recent years.

Max arms fell from Chloe's cheek and down towards her neck, fingers resting at the strap of the punk's necklace. Her expression had let up a bit, but the concern was still clearly there. 

"Are you sure, Chlo'? Cause that's an actual fucking _bruise_ on your face. David's clearly being abusive and I don't wanna see you to keep suffering in this way."

God, this conversation was making Chloe queasy beyond belief. Not only that, that dinner from earlier was just sitting in her gut like a rock, only adding to the sickness she felt.

This whole situation was triggering as fuck. She didn't want this right now, no, she didn't want any parts of it. She didn't want to talk about it, hear about it, or even fucking think about it. All Chloe had come here to do was be with someone she could trust. She didn't want to acknowledge that _asshole's_ existence anymore the remainder of the night, not even with Max being as pushy as she was right now.

After a moment or two of silence, Chloe broke it and took hold of Max's hands and brought them in close. "Can we please drop this conversation? It's hella stressful to think about, and I don't really don't have the energy to keep digging up old repressed emotions."

Max didn't seem convinced. "But Chloe, I-"

"Max, come on. I said _please_." Chloe protested, cutting her off intentionally. "Let's just drop it for tonight."

This time Max heeded the punk's words and acted accordingly. Chloe could tell that she was still worried and probably would just press the issue later on. Rome wasn't built overnight and neither was Chloe Price's trauma. It had taken literal _years_ of hell for all this bad shit to fester up inside her mind, and there _no_ way that Chloe would be ready to start trying to repair the damage that had been dealt quite yet. That was a bridge to cross on a different day.

Tonight, Chloe just wanted to focus on was the only good thing she had left in this world: Her precious little doe-eyed girlfriend. Her girlfriend that was looking _especially_ attractive since she was standing before her in only her PJ's right now. As with most things, Chloe's libido provided the punk with a worthy distraction. Eyeing up Max's petite form, Chloe bit her lip and purred underneath her breath.

She had crushed on Max so hard back when they were kids, the fact that she actually had her as a partner now made it all that more enticing.

Max took a step back and sighed. "If you won't let me help with your feelings tonight, can I at least cuddle with you then? I think we both could really use some positive energy right now."

Chloe nearly jumped out of her skin. _I thought she'd never ask! Um, Hella yes!_

"Of course. I hella could use some Max cuddles right now."

Max smiled for the first time tonight. Her arms slid down to Chloe's waist, hands outlining and cupping around the softness of the punk's slight beer belly. Chloe's breath hitched at the sensation, and she prayed Max hadn't heard. Despite the mental anguish her weight had been causing her recently, once she noticed that Max didn't seem to be bothered or put off by it at all, made Chloe somehow even more head over heels for the hipster.

That, and the fact that having her tummy rubbed like that felt really, really _fucking_ good.

_Is this what it feels like for dogs? No wonder Frank's mutt goes crazy whenever he gets one then._

"Well then, don't just stand there. Take those clothes off and get in the bed, silly." The photographer instructed with a naughty grin, directing a finger towards the twin-size mattress behind them. There was that long sought after bossiness that Chloe had been infatuated with bringing out of Max, finally making an appearance. The punk grit her teeth and sucked in a sigh. Now this was what she had been hoping for.

"Yes ma'am, Miss Caulfield." Chloe teasingly said with a smirk. It took seconds for Chloe to undress herself, purposefully making sure to wiggle her ass in Max's direction when she was stepping out of her sweatpants. It was worth it, a blush forming on the hipster's cheeks in record-breaking fashion.

After stripping down free of her outside clothing, Chloe was left in only her boxers and a simple black sports-bra. After shooting some more suggestive body movements Max's way once again, the punk took the hipster by the hand and pulled her into the bed. The body heat became much more intense as they got closer to one another, limbs becoming entangled as they made their way under the sheets of the bed.

It was a _pretty_ tight squeeze. Chloe couldn't help but shudder when she felt her chilly bare toes peek out from underneath the blanket.

"Jesus, didn't realize how hella _small_ this bed was. How the shit do you sleep here every night, Max?"

Max chuckled and bumped the punk with her shoulder. "It's only meant for a single person. Not my bed's fault that your feet are _literally_ gigantic."

Chloe returned fire with a shoulder bump of her own. "Don't be salty 'cause one of us actually ended up having a growth spurt. Having a tiny bed isn't a bad thing though. Guess this just means that we're going to have to cuddle _extra_ close."

As they huddled up together in each other's embrace, something crossed her mind, something that she just had to ask.

It was worth a shot right?

Chloe turned her head so that Max was facing her. "So, uh, hey Mad Max. Can I ask you something?"

Max seemed confused by the sudden questioning but answered anyway. "Of course, Chlo'. Whatever you need. I'm here for you."

"Promise not to laugh?"

Now Max seemed really confused. "Why would I?"

"Just don't alright?"

Max nodded. "I won't laugh. I promise."

Good, now things were moving along. Chloe hesitated for a brief moment, then decided that being chicken-shit wasn't they way to go.

So she just went for it.

"Alright, here goes nothing. I was wondering if you could, you know, maybe start acting a little bossy some more? Kinda how you did on our date last week. I know it sounds hella bizarre, but I think I might like it whenever you act all confident and shit. It's a change up from how you usually are and I know that isn't really your personality type but... it just.. _does_ things to me. It's hella attractive."

Chloe could blend in with a tomato right now with how much she was blushing. God, this was awkward as she had imagined it. She was so used to being the one doing all of teasing and prodding, being on the opposite end now was a total mindfuck. She knew that someone like Max would never judge her, but there was still that lingering fear. She had confessed something similar to Rachel a while back, but it was when they both were drunk out of their minds so Chloe was pretty sure that Rachel didn't really grasp what Chloe had been trying to say.

To her surprise though, Max had raised up from her spot on the bed and straddled atop Chloe's pelvis. The punk would've complained that Max's weight was squishing down on her belly too hard, but the surprise of it all kept her silent. 

Then to make things even more mind-blowing, Max took Chloe's arms into her own and pinned them above the punk's head. The punk's breath hitched. This was really happening. Chloe had the clear strength advantage obviously, but the feelings rushing through her acted as anchor to hold her down.

Max had never been this bold before.

"So Chlobear likes it when I'm assertive, is that right?"

Chloe nodded almost to quickly, hands still pinned. Her toes could be seen curling and wiggling out from under the blanket, hormones clouding the punk's judgment.

" _Hella_." The phrase came out breathless and desperate, Chloe couldn't help but bite her bottom lip.

Max smirked, but not like her normal ones though. This smirk was far more seductive than the previous ones.

"I'm not sure if I can be as bossy and assertive as you want, but I'll definitely try. I'll do anything to make you happy Chloe. Whatever it takes. You've helped me break out of my dorky hipster shell these last few months and you've helped me discover things about myself in the process. So it's only fair that I try and return the favor."

Chloe whined like a spoiled child. Max's words were passionate and full of emotion, but right now all the punk could do was think about the things she wanted Max to do to her. She and Max had never had done the deed before, so Chloe knew that their first time had to be something special, it had to be memorable. Max deserved the best and only the best.

Despite her current submissive position, Chloe knew that she'd have to put her lust aside for a moment and coach Max through this. She had to guide her through the actions, the movements, and all the other things that both of them clearly needed in one another.

"I'm new to all this. I'm still a rookie when it comes to sex stuff. Tell me what how to make you feel good, Chloe. Tell me what you need. I want to be there for you."

Still struggling under Max's surprisingly tight grip, Chloe's mind was racing a hundred miles per hour. She had _craved_ this for so fucking long.

Tonight she and Max _actually_ were going to take the next step.


	6. The First Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buried feelings are uncovered in a moment of passion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obligatory smut chapter. Keep the kudos coming, forever encouraged. Some more comments too would be nice, tbh.

" _Jesus_ , Max." Chloe huffed, choking back a breathless gasp.

This moment between her and Max had been brewing in the making for awhile. Chloe was no novice when it came to sex, obviously. Whether it was the handful of guys she had slept with back in the past, or the countless experiences with Rachel, Chloe had been through the ringer more than a few times.

But this was different. 

This was Max. Chloe's first mate and precious doe-eyed hipster. Max who deserved everything and more for her first time.

This had be perfect.

Honestly, Chloe was beyond grateful that she would be the one to usher in this new experience for Max and not some random man or woman out there. _Especially_ none of the students at Blackwell. Chloe knew that Max trusted her, and while that was terrifying to an extent, the punk was more than willing to display a little patience while Max learned what she liked.

Although, with her hands currently pinned above her head like this, Chloe was pretty sure she would end up exploding before the night was over. It was a little funny actually, a rough-ish punk gal who took no shit from anyone, just laying there and letting this shy hipster force her down into the mattress like this. Odd as it was, Chloe could be _pretty_ damn submissive when it came to those she trusted.

It wasn't like some weird power play type of thing either, Chloe just liked allowing herself to feel cared for. To feel like she was actually wanted and desired. After so much time being alone, sometimes it felt good to just let her barriers down and let someone else take the reigns for a moment. And right now, Chloe wanted Max to take everything that the punk had to offer.

With her hands still gripping Chloe's by the wrist, Max's freckled gaze spanned over the prone punk's body. Chloe could tell that the poor girl was nervous and but trying to play if off. As much as Chloe wanted to make Max's first time as pleasurable and comfortable as possible, Max also clearly wanted to give Chloe very much the same. It was clear that both of them needed just as much from the other.

This was a mutual experience, after all.

_Man, Max looks hella nervous. Keep forgetting that's she's still a newbie to this type of shit. Don't want to rush into things like that one session with Rachel._

About a year ago, Chloe and Rachel had gotten drunk and rattled off ideas on all the things they wanted to try when it came to sex. In the end, Rachel had gotten the bright idea to chain Chloe's hands to the bedposts using a pair of her father's legit handcuffs. It hadn't really been the best experience. Neither one of them had really seemed to be all that into it, and that made things pretty awkward. Not to mention, it had taken literal _hours_ for Rachel to find the right key to the unlock damn things with so she could set Chloe free.

_God, that shit was like torture. Felt like my fucking hands were gonna fall off._

Suddenly above Chloe's head, Max stirred and one of her hands slid down to the punk's face and cupped it softly.

"I just wanna make you feel good tonight, Chlo'. I know I wasn't there for you back then when you needed me, but I want things to be different this time. I...think that I'm ready to take the next step for you."

At the sound of Max's encouraging words, Chloe sucked in a breath and she fought hard to not let another embarrassing whine escape her throat. Clothes were still on, and Chloe felt like she was already getting in the thick of it. Maybe it was the fact that the very same girl that Chloe had crushed on for all those years was actually sitting here and committed to making Chloe feel valued, or maybe it was the insane amount of body heat that was being restricted by the clothes and blanket. 

_Or_ maybe she was just insufferably _fucking_ horny right now. Probably a mix of all three, if she were honest.

Chloe looked up, her blue meeting Max's own. "Mind letting my arms go for a quick sec?"

"Oh shit, sorry." Max stumbled, forever cautious not to mess things up. Chloe couldn't deny how adorable it was. Hastily, Max did as requested and shuffled her way from off of Chloe's waist.

Now free for a moment, Chloe sat up briefly and stared at Max, who had taken a seat at the edge of the bed.

"Alright look, it's getting _hella_ steamy in here. So before things progress any further, we should probably take the rest of these hot-ass clothes off." Chloe said with a huff. She didn't even bother waiting for Max to respond, already in the process of yanking her sports-bra over her shoulders. Her three-bullet necklace hung there limply between the valley of her breasts, her punk style still shining through even when was vulnerable and bare-chested.

Ignoring how hot Chloe felt when noticed Max's blush at the sight of the punk's naked upper body, she thrust her long legs to the side, her boxers falling off within seconds. Now complete nude, Chloe suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to cover herself, like she wanted to hide somehow. It was probably just her self-confidence issues flaring up again, but Chloe swore that her beer belly was only protruding out even more from this angle. She didn't feel very attractive right now. Chloe loathed the fact that David had altered her perception of what was appealing about herself.

Something would have to give, and hopefully do so very soon. 

_Fuck, did Stepdouche throw me off of my game this much? I've been naked in front of Rachel a bunch of times before, so why is Max any different?_

Just when Chloe was about to get lost in her mind again, a surprised gasp from the foot of the bed pulled her from her thoughts.

" _Wowser._ I didn't know that you had other piercings too..."

Chloe titled an eye at Max's words, that comment had caught her by surprise.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Chloe examined her own body all over, searching for the elusive piercings, until finally her mind clicked and she caught on to what Max was talking about.

"Oh, you mean these _badboys_?" The punk said, hands grasping down at her nipple piercings. She hadn't thought about these old things in so long, she had damn near forgotten about them.

"Oh yeah. Got 'em pierced for my 18th birthday. Though in hindsight, I only went through with it 'cause Rachel dared me to."

Max squirmed in place on her spot in the bed. Chloe couldn't rightly tell if was arousal or just plain fear in the girl's eyes. She shared Max's anxiety, and quite honestly, Chloe was scared shitless at the thought of fucking this up.

"That must have hurt."

"What?"

"The piercings, I mean. Did it hurt to get them done?"

Chloe raised an eyebrow. "Oh dude, shit yeah. It was hella painful. It was worth it though, the look on Rachel's face afterwards was fucking priceless."

Max's eyes lowered and she rubbed the back of her neck nervously. "I see..."

"Well, I think they look nice. It fits you."

Chloe chuckled, though on the inside she was blushing like a love-sick teenager. "Hey, thanks Mad Max. I appreciate that."

A silence fell over the room, both of their gazes facing away. Max was just sitting there twiddling her thumbs absentmindedly. Chloe knew that despite how assertive she desired Max to be, It would take time before she would fully be able to take that leap. Tonight, Chloe would probably have to be the one to give her a push in the right direction and get things moving.

_Get it together, Price! You've been through hella kinkier stuff than this!_

Chloe forced a cough through her throat to break the silence. "So uh...you gonna take your clothes off or what?"

Max looked up at her girlfriend and her eyes widened. "Oh...right."

With that quick fumbled statement, Max quickly went about to stripping her night clothes from off of her body. Chloe's eyes watched intently as each inch of freckled skin became more and more visible. A small pink cotton bra hugged and framed Max's petite figure perfectly, Chloe had to battle the urge to lash out and touch the exposed flesh.

Max wasn't Rachel. Chloe didn't want to overstep her boundaries, nor did she want to come off like some giant pervert.

Slowly but surely, Max reached behind herself and unhooked the clasps of her bra, letting the last article of her clothing fall off the bed and to the floor below. God, a totally hella naked Max was even more fucking adorable than Chloe had even imagined. Chloe had wanted this, no, she had _longed_ for this moment for the last five years and now it was a reality. 

Max's cheeks were burning, and the blush was already viable. "Well, here's me. I'm uh, ...sorry that my boobs aren't all that impressive." The brunette said, a skinny finger pointing down at her relatively small breasts. 

Chloe scoffed. Recently, she had to keep reminding herself that Max also had her own bouts with self-doubt.

"Dude, are you shitting me? Your tits are hella amazing, Max. You're sexy as fuck!" 

And Chloe wasn't even lying. Being here in the nude with her girlfriend like this, had resulted in a gush of arousal rushing through the punk, filling up the empty space that the anxiety had left. Things were starting heat up now, and Chloe was more than ready to get on with the main event. Reaching over on the far side of the bed, Chloe pulled herself closer towards Max's side of it.

When she got there, Chloe could feel the air thickening around them, as if fate itself was ushering them forward to this moment. Just when Chloe was about make the first move, her finger centimetres away from Max's nipples, did she feel Max grab ahold of her hands and stop the punk halfway. Her grip was just as tight and firm as it had been earlier, and Chloe was suddenly left breathless again.

"No." Max said, voice magically more confident than it had been all night. "Tonight isn't about me."

Chloe caught a hitch of surprise. "Max, what-"

Max silenced her, reaching a hand over and shushing her with a finger.

"David left marks on you, Chloe. He _hurt_ you. I wanna take that pain away from you, and I want to help you forget all of that, even if it's just for one night. I know you're tough, but that doesn't mean you always have to be the strong one. You've done a lot for me these past few months, and I'm so _fucking_ grateful for that. If you let me...I can try and do the same for you."

Stopping briefly, Max took a moment to catch herself. The way her words had come spilling out with such passion and confidence made it seem almost as if she had been planning to say these things from the very start. It could've been minutes or hours, but Chloe wasn't exactly sure how much time had passed. This whole thing was all feeling very dreamlike all of a sudden.

Then, from almost out of nowhere, Max suddenly lunged up from her spot and crashed into Chloe's chest. Reeling back in surprise, Chloe gasped once she was forced on her back, her head nearly crashing into the headboard. Within seconds, Max had wiggled her way back on top of the punk's pelvis, using all of weight to keep Chloe pressed into the mattress.

Just like that, Chloe had found herself right back in the same position from earlier. Staring up into Max's suddenly _very_ domineering eyes, Chloe couldn't help but visibly shudder. Her nipples were already staring to harden, and with bossy Max reappearing it was a given that Chloe was bound to be a sloppy mess not long from now.

Max's gaze wondered as she eyed her prone girlfriend up and down. "I think I'm ready to get started now."

This was too fucking intense right now, Chloe couldn't believe that this was actually happening. Nonetheless, she wasn't complaining, in fact, she was fucking through the roof with excitement. Chloe gasped softly and bit her bottom lip.

Looking up, Chloe spoke, voice dripping with arousal. "Then pin my hands _again_."

Max nodded and did as Chloe asked. She took Chloe by the wrists and forced them back over the punk's head. This time Chloe couldn't fight the audible squeak that escaped her. Her eyes glazed over and she sucked in a sharp breath of air. It was embarrassing sure, but right now Chloe was too fucking turned on to care. The punk was already wet beyond belief at this point, thankfully that meant she didn't have to instruct Max to do much.

"Like this? Am I pressing down hard enough?"

Chloe just whined again and squirmed her burning thighs between one another. Chloe would never admit it out loud, but part of her was hoping that by some miracle of a chance, that Rachel would barge in and catch them in the midst of the act. It had always been a personal fantasy of hers to have both of her girl-crushes come pin her down to the bed and whisper sweet nothings into her ear.

Reminding Chloe that they loved her and that they wouldn't ever abandon her.

Max could see just how much Chloe was lost in her only little world. It mad the hipster's heart swell with glee knowing that she could bring someone else this much pleasure. It awoke something _feral_ in Max, something that the photographer to-be hadn't realized had been there all along. She _enjoyed_ seeing Chloe like this. Behind closed doors, when she was open and vulnerable. Knowing that it was _her_ making Chloe feel this way, that it was her hands that were making her childhood best friend contort her face in sheer pleasure.

It was comforting almost in a way, knowing that Chloe was just like her. Chloe didn't seem unbreakable anymore. She struggled with self-esteem just like Max did, and that meant that Max could be there for Chloe in ways that she didn't originally think possible. 

" _Fuck_ Max...please..." Chloe spoke up suddenly, still squirming under Max's grip. Her eyes were closed now, and she was biting her bottom lip between gasps.

"I'm here, Chlo'. Tell me what you need."

The flustered punk bucked her hips, desperately searching for more stimulation. " _Please_ just touch me...I _hella_ _need_ it.."

Heeding her girlfriends words, Max took one hand down, making to keep Chloe pinned with the other, and slid down the punk's body. Before reaching her target, Max felt bold for a second and decided to try something. Taking her lone free hand, Max's pressed a finger deep into the soft flesh of Chloe's belly, teasing her navel jewel with a finger. Max could see how Chloe's toes visibly curled in response, so she knew that her work was being effective.

Chloe couldn't think straight right now. This was all too much, as she found herself lost in the pleasure of it all. Then Max felt the way for the moment, and quickly found the oversensitive bundle of nerves. Only a finger in, and Max could tell just how utterly _soaked_ Chloe was. Max might've been sheltered, but that didn't mean she was completely inept to female anatomy. 

All took was three sharp flicks to her clitoris and Chloe's whole body went rigid. She opened her mouth and finally let loose the moan that had been building up all night.

"Oh shit, I'm about to-!"

Chloe's toes curled and wiggled even further, and her belly expanded almost comically as she let out a massive exhale of breath. It took minutes for her to come down from her orgasmic high. Never before had Chloe been thoroughly put through ringer like that. Not even by Rachel. Opening an eye, Chloe looked up into the eyes of her savior and her first mate. Gone was the intense look, her usual dorky nonchalance back in it's place. Reaching down, Max cupped Chloe's cheek softly and petted it.

"Damn Max..." Chloe huffed, voice hoarse.

"That was.. _hella_ intense." 

Max chuckled softly and she wiggled from off of Chloe's stomach and took her place in the bed beside her. Chloe threw an arm around her, and brought her in close. The punk's grip wasn't steady as it normally was, her climax having zapped most of her strength. 

"Did I do a good job?"

Chloe scoffed in disbelief. Was this girl serious?

"Dude, are you kidding? That was one of the most amazing orgasms I've had in months, and I'm not even exaggerating. You blew my mind, Max."

Max nuzzled up close to her, grateful to have serviced her captain well. "Good to know then. I just wanted to make you feel good for once."

Chloe turned her head and spoke, "Though I do feel kinda shitty that I got all the action. I should probably return the favor. What say you first mate, gotta enough energy for a round two?"

Max eyes lowered and a blush appeared on her cheeks. "I'm okay. Like I said, tonight was just about you. Besides, I think I've reached my sex quota for one go around at least."

Chloe looked on longingly, feeling a little guilty. "So next time then?"

Max nodded, eyes looking very tired all of a sudden. "Next time."

Seconds later, Max yawned and she sighed lazily. "I'm uber sleepy now anyways. Not to mention, I still have class in the morning."

With that, both young women exchanged "good-nights" and tried to force themselves into slumber.

Just before sleep overtook her, Chloe couldn't help but feel like her and Max's relationship had just changed for the better.


	7. The Junkyard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe and Max have another moment at the junkyard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We back tho. Just a shorter chapter this time. In other news, I actually commissioned someone to do some audio readings of a few chapters of this same story. I may try to find a way to post them over here on AO3 in the meantime.

The weeks after that night at Max's dorm, had been some of the most fun that Chloe had enjoyed in a long while.

Dates, dates, and even more dates!

This type of social interaction was something that the both of them had found a little bit freighting at first, but ever since they had opened up and let their hearts sing, their relationship had blossomed like never before.

And that was good thing.

More time with Max meant less time Chloe could spend feeling sorry for herself cause of how shitty her home-life was. It had been a rather chilly December afternoon, Arcadia Bay's typical dreary overcast paraded over the skies. Today's little adventure had landed the two of them at the local fast food spot, then subsequently inside of Chloe's little hideout at _American Rust_.

It was here, inside the compact walls of the small little hut, that both young women enjoyed the fruits of their labor.

" _Whoof_. Oh man, that was some _hella good_ eats.." Chloe moaned lazily after letting out a not-so polite belch. The punk was laying on her back, face turned up at the ceiling with a hand resting on her stomach.

Lunch had clearly treated her well. It was a little sad to admit, but good food and good weed were just about some of the few things that kept Chloe going on most days.

Over on the opposite side of the room, Max had been fiddling with her camera absentmindedly. Having heard her punk girlfriend's rather rude expulsion, Max looked up from the handful of polaroids she had been examining.

"You know, you could at least say excuse me after you do that." Despite trying to sound annoyed in her tone, the subtle smirk in her features gave away Max's true feelings. Chloe's "no fucks given" attitude had always been one of her most appealing assets in Max's eyes.

Chloe just chuckled softly, her eyes still closed. " _Nah._ I'm too hardcore for that shit."

The hipster girl shook her head in disapproval, but smiled anyway. "Even too hardcore to have proper manners?"

Chloe chuckled a second time, opting to open a single eye. " _Yup_. Gotta stay true to my punk roots somehow."

Max just rolled her eyes playfully, before returning her attention back to her photos. Meanwhile, Chloe had seemingly finally gotten the required stamina to raise up from off of her spot on the floor. Not even a few seconds later did she come to regret her decision, as a wave of nausea came washing over her. Perhaps, this type of behavior wasn't the most smartest thing to keep doing.

"Ugh. Shit." Chloe groaned, feeling the brunt of the oncoming sickness. "On second thought, I think I might've ate too much..."

Max titled her head back over in Chloe's direction again, this time her expression more concerned. She set her camera down and trekked over to where the punk was huddled down in the center of the room. Once she was there, she peered down at her blue-haired partner in crime.

"Awwww. Does my poor punk have a twummyache?" Max asked through tongue-in-cheek, unable to hide the childish glee in her voice. Under normal circumstances Chloe probably would've engaged in the friendly ribbing, but the sudden queasy feeling was more than a little distracting.

"Yeah, no kidding. I feel like I fuckin' swallowed concrete." She slurred sickly.

Max chuckled at her girlfriend's expense, but it was in a good-spirited type of way that wasn't mocking. She got down on her knees so she could bring herself down closer to Chloe's level. Despite how awkward of a situation that it was, whenever Chloe and Max's eyes would meet, it was a match made in heaven.

"Well, normally I would feel bad, but this is _kinda_ your own fault. Not to mention, I totally _did_ warn you not to eat that second burger."

Chloe shrugged nonchalantly, her cheeks becoming increasingly warm. Max had warned her, but as was often the case, Chloe had been far too stubborn to listen in the moment.

_I really should start listening to Max more often._

The punk looked up just then, eyes still glazed and unfocused. "Well, wasn't like _you_ were gonna eat it. Besides, you know what they say: No hella delicious food shall ever go uneaten in Chloe Price's presence."

Max scoffed.

"You're such a goofball."

Chloe chuckled, but then groaned behind her breath once she felt another upset lurch in her belly.

Max was right. She was a pretty big fuckin' goofball.

"You know what? You may have a point..."

"Come here, you big ol' dork." Max said before she rolled her eyes again and brought the overwhelmed punk in closer.

One of her slender hands clasped around the strap of Chloe's tank-top, (which was doing a pretty terrible job of concealing her bra by the way), and guided a trail up towards Chloe's neck. Just a few short seconds later, Max felt the way and caressed the punk's neck softly, massaging it vigorously. Underneath her thin fingers, Max could feel just how much tension Chloe was harboring.

" _Ohh yeahhh_. That feels _hella_ good, dude." Chloe groaned lowly at the assault of Max's hands. It had seemed ever since Chloe had confessed what her desires were to Max, the hipster had gotten _surprisingly_ well-versed at finding all the ways that made Chloe melt into a pile of grunts and groans. The punk titled her back towards the ceiling and let Max do her work.

Honestly, Chloe still felt a _little_ weird having someone display this much affection for her. Back with Rachel, Chloe had just followed her around like a like a lost puppy. The punk had just been happy that someone was actually interested enough in her for once. Chloe had literally _showered_ Rachel with compliments at every single chance she'd got, and would just do whatever it was that Rachel wanted to do. It was desperate, needy, and honestly hella pathetic.

And while part of Chloe had enjoyed that time and always would, it never truly felt like Rachel had felt as intensely about Chloe, as Chloe had felt about her.

_God, how much of my life have I wasted by depending on other people for my happiness?_

It wasn't all bad though.

Max had been a different story than Rachel.

Ever since Max had returned, every inch of the hipster girl seemed to be one-hundred percent committed to making Chloe feel as loved as humanly possible. That was quite a strange thing, and Chloe didn't really know why someone like Max would ever give a shit about a no-good dropout like her. Whether it was just guilt because of all the time Max had missed during those five years she'd spent in Seattle, or something else entirely, was a mystery.

Chloe was pretty sure she'd never fully understand anyways. She didn't really want to bother blowing a gasket in her brain thinking about it either.

Thankfully she didn't have to.

In the meantime, Max's hands had left Chloe's neck and lowered down at the punk's abdomen. She pressed in tenderly and kneaded the flesh between her fingers. Feeling the pressure within her body begin to dissipate thanks to the simulation, Chloe couldn't help but moan softly in response.

"I'm guessing that means I'm doing okay?" Max asked softly, fingers still working into Chloe's overtaxed middle.

"More massaging and less talking." The punk huffed between her grit teeth, trying to keep her sanity intact for the moment. It was damn hard too, as Max was really giving it her all right now.

Figuring that she should be probably give Max more room to work with, Chloe leaned further into Max's embrace, awarding the hipster's renewed motions with further grunts of satisfaction. Happy that her efforts were clearly being effective, Max just kept up her pace of massaging, digging and pressing into Chloe's belly with as much force as her petite body could muster.

It took some time, but eventually Chloe did slowly feel the pain in her stomach begin to fade. Once the punk was sure that it was completely gone, she took Max's hand into her own and stopped her going any further.

"Alright, that's good enough. I think my bellyache's gone now."

Max smiled upon hearing those words, and Chloe felt a blush rising on her own cheeks. 

"Glad to be of service." Max said cheekily, eyes lighting up.

"So what did we learn today?" The hipster girl continued on, rising up from off the floor. She walked over to where her camera was and placed it back into her satchel.

Chloe just chuckled and met Max there, long limbs shaky from being immobile for such a long time. "That fast food is hella evil."

"And what else?" Max prompted.

Chloe just rolled her eyes. She knew what Max wanted her to say. "That I should have listened to your warning."

" _And?_ "

Chloe huffed.

"- _And_ that I'm a giant goofball like you said."

As if Chloe had said the magic words, Max closed the distance just then and brought her arms up to meet Chloe's shoulders. "Yep. But you'll always be _my goofball_."

Chloe was left breathless by that and she barely had time to prepare for Max's lips to crash down on hers. The kiss didn't last long, but it didn't need to. Chloe loved kissing her first mate any chance she got.

By the time that Max had pulled away from her, the punk could already feel her mind going to that _special_ place it had back in Max's dorm that night. It was becoming a regular occurrence whenever she was with Max, and Chloe swore that she would never get tired of that feeling.

"You wanna take this back to my house? You know, for a little _fun_ time between the both of us?" Chloe asked in a way that was breathless yet eager, her tongue still fresh with the taste of Max's own.

The hipster girl looked down for a second, and she rubbed the back of her neck bashfully. Max was still nervous when came to talking about sexual things but she was getting better.

After working up the courage finally, Max looked up and said, "Sure thing, I guess. Lead the way captain."

Chloe smirked and she felt the excitement build in her belly, replacing the upset feeling that had been there moments ago. She took Max by the hand and began guiding her towards where she had parked her truck.

Things were heating up again.


	8. The Stepfather

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe and Max talk with David.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2021 and we're back with more shit to read. hooray.

Chloe felt like all the nerves in her body were all firing on all-cylinders. She had figured from the not-so subtle glances of excitement that Max had been trying to play off during the whole ride back from the junkyard, Max was most likely in the same boat.

As her truck pulled down towards the street where her house was, Chloe took a moment to glance out of the window.

The sun was going down by now, which probably meant that Joyce would be busy running things during the dinner rush hour at work. Give or take, she and Max would have some hours to do whatever they wanted.

And with the _absurd_ amount of raging hormones flowing through her right now, Chloe was beyond delighted at that. Turning into the driveway, Chloe parked her truck within seconds. As she took her keys out from the ignition, Chloe took a moment to glance over at her girlfriend. Max had her head placed against the window, her eyes closed and mouth perked up in a small grin. 

Like almost everything about Max, It was adorable. Chloe would never understand how she'd gotten so lucky.

"Time to wake up princess, we're back." The punk quipped with some signature snark.

When Max didn't respond, Chloe reached an arm over and stroked her cheek softly. A few idle ticks later, Max spurted back to life.

That had always seemed to do the trick.

Max snickered a chuckle at the tickling sensation, then let out a small yawn. "You know, I think eating all of that good food made me super sleepy. Be a darling and carry me inside?"

Chloe huffed underneath a sigh. "Dude, quit being lazy. You can walk just fine."

Max put on her best puppy-dog eyes that she knew Chloe wouldn't be able to resist. "You're really going to deny me even if I say _please?_ That isn't very nice."

Like the total sap for cute hipsters that she was, Chloe caved to Max's wishes within seconds. She was never able to turn down a request from her first mate.

Chloe rolled her eyes to pretend like she was annoyed, but even the blind could see that wasn't the case. " _Fine._ But only cause you look hella adorable when you pout."

With that, the punk stepped out from her side of the truck and walked over towards the passenger side. Once the she popped open the door, Max practically jumped into Chloe's grasp. As Max wrapped her legs around the rebel's hips, Chloe held onto the poor tired girl like she was precious cargo. Feeling Chloe's strong arms wrapped around her further, Max sighed contently. 

"Always such a big softie. That's _the_ Chloe I know." Max said breathlessly, her mouth taking refuge right by the punk's ear.

Chloe visibly shuddered and she had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop the pathetic moan from escaping. She was just so fucking _needy_ when it came to being shown any form of affection. For Max and Rachel both, the two of them just did _unnatural_ things to Chloe's psyche. Just one little word of encouragement, or just one little sneaky side-eyed glance, and Chloe would get weak in the knees.

So much so, that when Max nipped at Chloe's earlobe, the punk almost toppled over. Luckily, she'd managed to catch her balance at the last second, sparing herself even further embarrassment.

So yeah, Chloe might've been a _little_ whipped when it came to being in love.

Though, that didn't mean that Chloe had to outright admit it as such. She had to at least _pretend_ to be a tough-ass punk still. If she wanted to keep her dignity in tact, that is.

"That's a load of bullshit, Caulfield. I am _not_ soft."

Max chuckled again, and a Chloe's cheek's darkened a deeper shade.

"You totally are." Max said, peppering Chloe's blushing cheeks with more kisses. "In all honestly, I think your soft side might be my favorite thing about you. "

"Is that right?" Chloe grumbled, even though on the inside she was pleased that Max approved of her.

"Uh-huh. It reminds me why I love you so much."

Well, those words just about made Chloe faint from sheer neediness. She really wanted Max all to herself in the bedroom, like right, right now.

_Holy shit, when did Max become such a fucking smooth talker?_

Chloe suppressed another whine in her gullet and trekked over towards the front entrance of the house. "Alright Caulfield, it's time for you to hop down for a sec. I need to look for my housekey."

"And here I was enjoying my free ride." Max playfully complained as she shimmied down from Chloe's grasp and landing on her feet.

As the punk was digging through her pockets of loose change, Max saw her chance and walked up to place yet another kiss on the blue hair girl's exposed neck. The punk just groaned lazily as she felt Max's teeth dig into her skin just now, no doubt leaving a noticeable hickey that would form later on. 

God, the thought of being marked and branded by Max like some form of cattle, send tremors up the punk's spine like free-flowing electricity. Chloe could feel the butterflies dancing amongst the burgers in her stomach and she wanted to just grab Max and do the deed right here and there. If things kept up like this, there was no telling how out of control Chloe might get.

She really needed to find that fucking key as fast she could, ASAP.

Just when Chloe was about say something at the moment, the words died on her tongue as the front door to the home swung open suddenly. Luckily, Max had managed to pull away from Chloe's neck at the last second to avoid getting caught in the act.

Once the pair of them realized who had opened the door, the wind went right out of their sails.

David Madsen stood there before them, an annoyed look plastered on his mustache-adorned face. Like was often the case when it came to her stepfather, Chloe wanted vomit up her lunch almost instantly.

David spoke just then. "About damn time. I was wonderin' where the hell you ran off to."

The ex-marine looked down at the short hipster standing behind Chloe's backside. "And what is _she_ doing here?" He asked with a voice full of aggression, finger pointing in Max's direction. The photographer's eyes went down to their feet and she took a cautionary step back at the sound of his raised voice.

She was scared.

The punk could already feel her blood beginning to boil. David might've been able to shit-talk Chloe sometimes, but no one was going to use that tone with her girlfriend and get away with it.

"Back off asshole, Max is my friend. She just needed some help with her homework so I'm letting her spend the night."

David didn't seemed convinced. "Don't you use that tone with me, Chloe. I ain't in the mood for your shit tonight."

Chloe knew exactly where this heading. She couldn't seem to escape this asshole.

_Oh my gosh, will this dude please just fuck all the way off._

"Oh yeah? What are you gonna do about it, tough guy? Smack me around some more?" Chloe didn't know why she had said that, but the moment that David had closed the distance between them, did she come to regret it.

"If you ain't gonna learn to show me some damn respect, then I got to slap some sense into you." He snarled.

Now it was Chloe's turn to be scared. She took a few steps backwards, nearly tripping over her own boots. Things were quickly getting out of hand. Just then however, a voice spoke up between them.

"Excuse me, but did you just threaten your stepdaughter?"

Both Chloe and David turned to the source of the voice.

Max.

She had her arms folded defiantly, and the scared look was still there. It did seem like she was hiding it well, though.

"What?" David inquired, titling an eye.

"You do know you can get jail time for threatening someone, right?"

"Don't try and lecture me, missy. I know the law."

Max scoffed at him, holding up her cellphone in one of her hands. "Then you know I'm well within my legal rights to call the cops on you for what you just did."

David's mouth opened and closed, spluttering like a fish. Clearly he was thrown off his game a bit by that. He held his hands up defensively.

Chloe just watched on in amazement. She couldn't tell if she was more shocked or more aroused by what was happening before her eyes. She kept silent and let Max do her thing.

"Now just wait a doggone minute..,"

Max didn't let up. "Or rather how about I report you to Principle Wells? I'm sure he'd be happy to know that one of his faculty members is being abusive to one of his former students. That wouldn't be good for your job security, now would it?"

_Holy shit, you go Max!_

"Look David, I know you served this country, I think that's an honorable feat. Really, I truly and honestly do. But I can't allow anyone to threaten Chloe, especially not her _own stepfather_. It's obvious you aren't in the right state of mind, so I'm giving you two choices. Either you leave right now and cool off, or I have no choice but to take things further and get the police involved."

It took a minute, but David did eventually make his choice.

"Calling the law won't be necessary. I'll go." He said with a huff and stutter. He barged past the two young women and over towards his muscle car. He got into it quickly before speeding away out of the driveway.

Just like that. The badman was gone.

Chloe couldn't quite believe what just happened. Once she was sure David's car was out of sight, the punk ran over and scooped Max in giant hug of pure joy.

"Holy fucking shit Max, that was hella amazing!"

Max just chuckled bashfully with an exhausted exhale, her tirade clearly having taken a lot out of her.

"Just be glad he didn't call my bluff because my phone's actually dead right now. I didn't think he'd actually fall for it."

Chloe released the hug, and gave Max a warm smile. Never before had someone taken up for her to such a degree before. "Dude, are you kidding? No one has ever punked out David like that. Not even me! Where the hell did all that confidence come from, Max?"

The hipster girl shrugged, a blush on her face matching the one that had been Chloe's own earlier. "Your rebellious ways are starting to rub off on me, I guess."

Chloe chuckled. "No kidding." She said, beaming joyfully.

"Man, that might be the single hottest fucking thing I've ever seen you do. Remind me to get on your bad side more often, Max."

The brunette rolled her eyes at that, but went over to bring Chloe in close anyways. "Can you take me up to your bedroom now? I think I need to blow off some serious steam after all that."

The punk groaned desperately, and her belly did that churning thing it always did whenever she was excited.

Bossy Max was about to make her scheduled appearance. And for Chloe, that was a good thing.

"Way ahead of you, Mad Max." The punk said, eyes lowering with building arousal.

The hipster smiled. "Always so good to me. Shall we go now?"

Chloe didn't need to be told twice.

She allowed Max to hop on her shoulders again and led her upstairs to the bedroom.


End file.
